The Botanical manuscripts of the late Richard Spruce have recently been presented to the Library through the kindness of Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace. In offering the volumes to Kew, Dr. Wallace wrote to the Director on November 11th, 1908, from Broadstone, Wimborne, as follows.--

    "I am empowered by Dr. Spruce's executor, Mr. M. B. Slater, to offer to the Kew Botanical Library the following MSS. Journals and notes of Spruce, together with the letters received by him from various botanists as enumerated in the List enclosed.

    "To them I add the letters to Mr. W. Borrer which have come into my hands as executor of the late Mr. W. T. Mitten.

    "Please inform me if these or any of them will be acceptable and I will at once forward them."

    The following is the list of Spruce's Botanical Manuscripts enclosed by Dr. Wallace.

    "Plantae Amazonicae. 2 vols. bound.

    "Plantae Andinae. 2 vols. bound. Containing numerical Register (up to 6580) to his flowering plants and ferns. Often with detailed descriptions.

    "MSS. Vol. I. (bound). Containing a large number of notes and short articles, on various scientific subjects, but very largely botanical.

    "MSS. Vol. II. (bound). Containing the whole of his original 'Journal' from July 1851 to July 1855. (Last 4 months at Manaos to his arrival at Tarapoto, Peru.) This is full of botanical notes and observations, only very partially gleaned by me; and occupies more than half the volume. The remainder is botanical notes and register of Mosses.

    "Very thick Memorandum book containing original 'Journal' from Tarapoto to Banos, with much botanical matter (only skimmed by me). Also copious notes on his Mosses and Hepaticae.

    "Besides the seven volumes enumerated, there are the letters received by him (mostly when in South America) from Sir William Hooker, Mr. G. Bentham, Sir Joseph Hooker, Mr. Wm. Mitten, Mr. Miers, Mr. Destringe and M. Emile Bescherelle.

    "Rough Notes for the Introduction to his large work on the Hepaticae (never written in English) and a few on other botanical subjects.

    "The complete series of letters from R. Spruce to Mr. William Borrer, of Henfield (1843-1848), almost wholly on the critical study of British and European Mosses and Hepaticae."

    A copy of "Notes of a Botanist on the Amazon & Andes," by Richard Spruce, largely founded on the above manuscripts, and edited by Alfred Russel Wallace, O.M., F.R.S., has been presented to the Library by the Editor.